Bedtime Stories
by Jaideum
Summary: Victoire Weasley has been tasked with the act of babysitting her two younger siblings. The only way to get them to bed is a story, and unfortunately for Victoire, they want an original.


**Disclaimer:** I d not claim to own any facts, information that belongs to another party. My ideas are my own, but that is all.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to MuggleJane, who did me the courtesy of Beta reading this one shot for me. I appreciate the efforts and suggestions immensely. This was written for the following competitions:

- Dauntless Competition - Round Two - Friendship or Family Fic.

- As Strong As We Are United (III) - Character: Victoire Weasley. Prompts: flame, towel and star.

**Bedtime Stories**

_Once upon a time in a far away land, in a kingdom alive with old magic, lived a princess. She had flaming red hair, and in her eyes shone something akin to the magnificence of the Northern Lights. The-_

"The Northern Lights? Really, Sissy?"

Victoire Weasley was drastically considering her options. Somehow, the best one involved her head, a wall and a mild concussion. She decided against it.

"Yes, Dominique, the Northern lights in all their fabulous glory! It's a fairytale, it's supposed to be a bit unreal," she explained desperately.

It wasn't that she had anything against entertaining her younger sibling, but it had not been on this specific night's agenda and subsequently she was unprepared for Dominique's demanding personality.

On a whim, her parents had decided that they deserved a night out. She did not understand why they couldn't just control this impulse until she and Dominique were back at school. Then they'd only have had Louis to make arrangements for, and luckily the Weasley family was not lacking in the babysitter department. Tonight, though, with her home, this task fell upon her shoulders, and although she usually did not mind, tonight was not the night for it.

Dominique, in all her pyjama-clad splendour, was sitting up in bed, watching her older sister with a thoughtful look. "You know what I think?" she asked, ripping Victoire from her own thoughts. "I think you've read too many of Aunt Audrey's Muggle children books."

Victoire simply sighed, doing her best to rein in her temper. She knew if her sister was presented with the opportunity to get into an argument, she would take it, which would lead to wakefulness and no rest for Victoire. Dominique had been in a challenging mood the whole evening, something Victoire blamed on the rebellion of an eleven year old who'd just tasted her first moments of freedom the previous term at Hogwarts.

"Story?" Dominique asked expectantly, sitting up a bit straighter.

"Fine," Victoire muttered. "Lay down though," she added, pushing her sister slightly as she did. "Right, where were we?"

"You were describing my flaming red hair and my fabulous eyes that sparkled with the beauty of the Northern Lights themselves," came the loaded reply.

"Who said anything about you being the main protagonist in my fairytale kingdom?"

Dominique grinned, rising up a bit, but Victoire immediately pushed her back down. She sighed, answering, "You're blond, so by logical deduction..."

"You're the only redhead in the family?" Victoire finished pointedly, shifting slightly where she sat on the edge of Dominique's bed.

The younger girl pouted. "So I'm not the princess then?" she questioned, adding a slight quiver to her voice.

"Oh fine, it's you," Victoire relented. "May I continue the story now?"

Dominique nodded eagerly, smiling up at her sibling.

"Right," Victoire continued.

_The princess had a very important task to complete, one that would have her facing great dangers. She would be in mortal peril constantly, and would have to use great wit to outsmart her enemies, but for her people, she was willing to endure anything._

"Not alone though, she'd have the brave knight helping her!"

"Louis," Victoire scolded as she turned to face her brother. He was standing in the doorway of the bedroom, a wet towel clutched in one hand. "What did you do?" she asked, getting up and moving towards him.

"I would not need a stupid knight," Dominique's complaints echoed behind Victoire as she dropped down in front of her little brother. "What happened?" she asked softly, lifting his chin so she could look him in the eyes. The realisation that he still had the towel seemed to have diminished any interest the boy had had in the tale his sister was telling.

"I woke up and got thirsty, but when I went to get some water, I dropped the glass and you didn't hear because the ocean is really loud so I thought I'd clean it up with the towel, but I cut my hand and now it hurts!" Louis explained, words flying from his mouth at top speed. He held up his other hand to show Victoire the blood.

"Oh Louis," she said in exasperation, taking the towel from him, whilst inspecting the cut on his other hand. "It's a small cut honey, it isn't even bleeding anymore," she said comfortingly. "I'll go and clean up the glass when we're done here. Why don't you hop into bed with Dominique while I put this towel in the bath for now? Then we'll finish the story," she added as she stood, casting a pointed looked over her shoulder at her sister.

Louis nodded fervently, dashing across the room and climbing into bed next to his older sister. "You could so use a knight's help," he said decisively, once he'd settled himself.

"I do not," Dominique argued, her voice raising a few octaves.

"Guys," Victoire warned, coming back into the room and taking her place at the foot of the bed once more. "Do you want to hear a bedtime story, or should I just leave the both of you here, in the dark, to finish your argument?"

Two heads lowered slightly, surrendering to the threat of being left without a story. Victoire nodded in satisfaction, cleared her throat once, and continued.

_With the assistance of a young brave knight, the princess set out on her mission. They would not have to travel far because the danger threatening their people was no further than the forests surrounding the kingdom. With great bravery, the two rode their trusty flying carpet-_

"Why don't they get a dragon? I don't like flying carpets," Dominique complained again.

Victoire rolled her eyes, saying a quick prayer for patience. "Because this is my story, and I'll tell it anyway I feel it needs to be told. Okay? Okay. Now be quiet, please."

_The two rode their trusty flying carpet, which was not yet outlawed in Britain because the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects defined them as Muggle Artifacts._

Both Dominique and Louis looked at her questioningly.

"Just go with it," Victoire said earnestly.

_They flew into the forest, ready to face their enemies. Their mission was to negotiate peace with two animal species that were attacking the kingdom. Of course, in the time when old magic still flowed freely, animals had the ability to talk. The two species that were attacking the kingdom was the mighty Crups and the devious Knarls._

_The Crups were once nothing more than dogs, but because of malicious wizards who felt nothing for Muggle people, they were bred into ferocious animals with forked tails. They preyed on the non-magic people of the kingdom, having abandoned the wizards who could no longer control them._

Louis' eyes were wide, his hand gripping his sister's arm as he listened intently. Dominique had a more sceptical look on her face, her eyes trained on her older sibling.

_The Knarls were less vicious, but they had trust issues. They resembled innocent hedgehogs, but unlike this creature, they did not see food left out by the townspeople as a peace offering. They thought it had to be a trap, set by wizards, thinking them to be below them. They retaliated in the only way they knew, destroying everything surrounding the house where the offering had been left._

_The kingdom's people were living in terror now that these two species had teamed up. That was why the King had decided to send his daughter, a woman who had the power to charm anyone, to negotiate peace between the wizards, the people, the Crups and Knarls._

_When the princess and the knight arrived at the place they had arranged for the negotiations to take place, they found themselves to be the first ones there. Their eyes were drawn to the sky above, filled with stars shining bright enough to illuminate the forest floor beneath the trees. They waited in anticipation for the arrival of the Crups and Knarls. The knight's hand never left the hilt of his sword, and the princess's own magical abilities bubbled beneath the surface, ready if any attack took place._

Victoire's eyes rested on her siblings, who were both sitting upright once more, both now enraptured by the story. She wondered if she'd ever be able to get them to sleep.

_Finally, leaves rustled and the head's of the respective species emerged from the shadows cast by the trees. The princess stood straighter, a dazzling smile on her face. The knight took a step backward, bowing as a sign of respect towards their acquaintances._

_"You have come then," the Head Crup growled out, the hair on his back standing on end. The Head Knarl was further back, his eyes shifting fast, as if expecting an attack at any moment._

_"Of course," the princess answered. "We want nothing more than to right the wrongs that have been committed by all sides."_

_"All sides?" The Head Knarl spoke up. "We are not the ones being deceived by people!"_

_The princess saw the hatred in the eyes of the Knarl and instinctively knew that this hatred stemmed from-_

"I don't understand," Louis interrupted. His face was scrunched up in concentration.

"Ah," Victoire said in understanding. The story might have become too complicated for a seven year old.

"The story's boring," Dominique added, crossing her arms. Her brother nodded his agreement.

"Okay," Victoire relented. "How about," she said with a smile, "the two of you finish the story, then?" With that, she slung her legs onto the bed, and crossed them beneath her.

Dominique and Louis exchanged giddy looks, but Louis' faded as a yawn broke through. Dominique soon followed suit, her own yawn escaping.

"Mhm... Maybe we should postpone the ending," Victoire stated, changing positions again, to climb off the bed. "Come on Louis, bedtime."

"But..."

"Bedtime," Victoire ordered, holding out her arms for Louis. Obediently, he crawled into her arms, holding on tightly.

"You too, Dominique."

Her sister looked up at her unhappily. "I wanted to finish the story," she muttered.

"I know, we'll finish another night though," Victoire answered, shifting Louis in her arms. His eyes were already closing as he drifted off to sleep. "Sweet dreams," she added, turning to walk out the bedroom door.

"Was that really a bedtime story?" Dominique's voice said behind her.

Victoire turned back, giving her sister a questioning look.

Dominique smirked, though the effect was lessened when another yawn broke through. "Or were you just listing facts from your Care of Magical Creatures Essay you haven't finished yet? The one you told mum and dad you'd finished a week ago?"

"Well..." Victoire trailed off, moving her head sideways in a strange motion.

"I won't tell," Dominique whispered, holding a finger to her lips in a secretive way. "If we get to finish the story tomorrow night. My way."

"Deal," Victoire said, winking at her sister as she left the room, Louis tucked safely in her arms. Maybe spending a night babysitting wasn't that bad after all.


End file.
